Highlights from my hospital bill
The hospital billing department sent me an itemized bill. Here are some of the highlights:
- $1,275/ night for a “semi-private” room. I don’t know where they’re getting “semi,” since it wasn’t a shared room. x3 nights is $3,825.
- Because my water broke at 11 a.m. and I wasn’t in active labor by 6 p.m. (though I had started having contractions, thankfully), I was induced with a drug called Cervidil. That thing cost a whopping $2,108.
- A line item called “LDR Delivery” was $3,333.
- Since I developed pre-eclampsia, I was given magnesium sulfate, which cost $180
- A .25 oz. tube of Lasinoh was $19. What? You can get several ounces for like $10 at Target.
The remaining charges were miscellaneous blood wor and meds for my recovery.
I’m so fortunate for our HMO and I’m fortunate that we had a relatively uncomplicated delivery. Ok, there were some complications, but I’m thankful that it didn’t end in a c-section.
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LDR might be “Labor Delivery Room”
Yah. I kinda wish they broke it down more than that, but oh well
That is insane that they charge so much for that microscopic tube of lanonin. I got one of those and thought it was free! We give it out as samples in the boutique downstairs from mom-baby in the hospital where I work. And a near-toothpaste size tube of Medela lanolin is like $10–which is silly. I wish they’d make the tubes half that size and sell them for $5. Very few women need that much lanonin.
Gosh, it probably saved us hundreds of dollars that I asked to go home a day earlier than I had to. (I wanted to anyway.) Our insurance didn’t cover nearly as much as yours did.
I agree — it would be much more convenient to have two smaller tubes instead of one big one. I’ve got enough to last for a few more babies!
That $19 tube really is sample size.
I was given the option to leave a day early, too. I didn’t because it was getting pretty late in the day, and it wouldn’t affect my end of the money anyway.
If my insurance gave me a little incentive to leave early, I would have considered it.
I wanted to leave the hospital as soon as I could, I just couldn’t rest well there (not that I got much more rest at home with a newborn, heh). It’s amazing how that all broke down though, I’m glad (and a bit surprised) that they actually sent you an itemized bill so you could see!
Erin’s last blog post..2 Months
Thank goodness for insurance. By the way, I had no clue it costs that much to have a baby; especially without any complications.
YIKES!!!! Did they throw in any $20 Tylenol?
Trixie
Goodness I’m startled by your bill. We complain about the NHS here in the UK but once we actually get into the hospital we rarely give the cost a second thought.